This invention relates to blankets. More particularly it relates to printed woven blankets.
Various types of blankets are sold having designs or patterns on one or both sides. These blankets range in quality from low cost nonwoven blankets, which are printed on one or both sides, to high cost Jacquard woven blankets which are made with individually dyed yarns which are woven together utilizing sophisticated numerical controls to form patterns or designs which are equally visible on both sides of the blanket. Because of the fact that the yarn in each color group must be independently dyed, because the manufacturer must utilize expensive numerically controlled Jacquard looms in order to complete the manufacture, and because of the labor involved in setup and the operation of the Jacquard looms, Jacquard woven blankets are very expensive, often costing the consumer more than $70.
Nonwoven blankets are very inexpensive, often costing the consumer less than $5. However, nonwoven blankets tend to be stiff and do not have the feel or hand of a woven blanket.
Standard woven blankets generally cost the consumer slightly more than $15. In order to produce a woven blanket with colorful patterns or designs, which has a good hand, without using the expensive Jacquard weaving process, standard woven blankets have been subjected to dyes, i.e. printing, after weaving. However unless the blanket is printed on both sides, i.e. the blanket is run through two printing and finishing cycles involving numerous steps, it has been found that, while the printed side of the blanket will show vivid colors and definition, the unprinted side will show only a fraction of the color and definition of the printed side.
Printed woven blankets have been manufactured by applying dye to one side of the blanket through a print screen utilizing an elongated blade or squeegee like device which forms a wave of the dye inside the print screen. The dye flows through the screen onto the surface of the blanket fabric. Penetration into the fabric is not substantial. Pigment, fiber reactive, and cationic dyes have been used depending on the type of fabric, i.e. acrylic, cotton, etc. After the dye is applied, the blankets are subjected to various processes including drying, steaming, scouring and napping. While the printed side of the blanket exhibited strong coloration and definition, the unprinted side did not exhibit nearly as strong a coloration and furthermore the designs on the unprinted side lacked definition. Thus the purchaser could readily distinguish one side of the blanket from the other. Heretofore blanket manufacturers have not been able to produce a printed blanket which has the appearance of a Jacquard woven blanket.